Godkin Debate: This House Believes Too Many People Go to University

The 8th meeting of the 165th Session of the Literific took place on the 21st of November in the Senate Room. Despite what President Kydd says, it was in fact our 3rd annual Godkin Debate and not our 165th.

Emma Chadwick, Connor Hogan and Aisha Sobey were battling for maiden speaker on the proposition. Emma argued that encouraging everyone to go to university would be bad for those not suited to it, those that are and responsible for the economy which we are currently seeing. He claimed that university degrees are becoming worthless and that they are not required for economic growth. Aisha told the House that university shouldn’t be a social expectation and that life skills are heard in the work place, not in lecture theatres.

Ben Murphy, Aaron Toleman and Harry Adair argued for the opposition. Murphy claimed that universities should change to suit everyone but as it stands it doesn’t allow a lot of people to go. Toleman said that you are more likely to get a job if you have a degree than if not and that there is a causation between going to university and having a healthy diet, exercising and not smoking. Adair explained that the only reason we have an established academic nature is because university is open to all and it should remain so.

The debate then went to the floor.
We went to a vote and the motion passed.
Paul Shannon, our eternal leader, then went through everyone’s speeches and the winner announced was… Connor Hogan! Congrats!

Published by The Literific

The Literary & Scientific Society is the debating society at Queen's University Belfast. We meet every at 7pm, Thursday evening during term time in the QUB Senate Room - you can be kept up to date with our website, Facebook and Twitter!
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